The white cliffs of Dover

Trip Start Sep 07, 2005

123

Trip End Ongoing

Loading Map

Map your own trip!

Map Options

Show trip route

Hide lines

Flag of United Kingdom Dover, United Kingdom
Monday, February 13, 2006

With everyone away for half-term, Rachel has lent me her car, so this weekend I headed off to Dover. It's just over 2 hours drive on the motorway, or closer to 3 if you go along the coast. I left early Saturday morning, so I had most of the day in Dover before dark. The city istelf is pretty dull, but it does have a few highlights. One is Dover Castle http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/dover/dover.php, where I spent several hours wandering through.

I took a tour of the secret wartime tunnels, a huge area carved under the castle in to the cliffs that was used as the command centre for the Dunkirk evacuation in the Second World War. They have recreated how things looked from photos, there is a hospital, mess, telecom centre etc. It gives you a feel for how things operated there at the time.

After the castle, of course I had to see the white cliffs of Dover http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-thewhitecliffsofdover.htm. Although it was a cloudy day, the view was still spectacular! I walked a fair ways along the beach, and there was only one other person there. Very peaceful.

Sunday I had planned to visit Rye http://www.rye.org.uk/about_rye.htm and Brighton, but it was pouring rain. I did stip in Rye for a few minutes, it is a gorgeous town full of cobblestone roads, tudor houses, antigue shops and charming pubs. By the time I made it to Brighton though, it was so cold and wet I decided to come back on a more pleasant day!

Slideshow